External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said that Pakistan must clearly make a distinction between what constitutes a composite dialogue and what is a bilateral interaction or discussion.
To substantiate her contention on the difference between these two nomenclatures, Swaraj referred to year 1998, when a "composite dialogue" on eight specific issues that are of importance to both India and Pakistan, was undertaken.
"A composite dialogue between India and Pakistan began in 1998....This composite dialogue began when Atal ji was the Prime Minister. Eight subjects were made and it was also decided as to who would look into the same. The first subject was Siachen which would be looked after by the Defence Secretary, the second subject was Sir Creek which would be looked after by the Surveyor General or Additional Secretary, third was the Tulbul Navigation project which would be looked after by the Secretary (Water Resources), fourth was terrorism and drug trafficking, which would be looked after by the Home Secretary, fifth was economic and commercial cooperation which would be looked after by the Commerce Secretary, sixth was the promotion of friendly exchanges which would be looked after by the Secretary (Culture), seventh was peace and security, including CBMs, which would be looked after by the Foreign Secretary and eighth was Jammu and Kashmir which would be looked after by the Foreign Secretary," Swaraj told a press conference in the national capital.
"It was decided in 1998 and this was the first composite dialogue. Sartaj Aziz Sahib is repeatedly saying referring to these two words, and saying that all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, should be taken up. All outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir are the words of the composite dialogue," she added.
She said, "In 1999, Atal ji went to Lahore to carry forward this composite dialogue from which the Lahore Declaration came up. But when he came back, he got Kargil and the talks could not move forward. Thereafter, he invited General Pervez Musharraf to Agra, but even he was adamant that he would not discuss the composite dialogue, only Kashmir. So, the talks were meaningless and non-resultant."
The External Affairs Minister said a discussion on the composite dialogue began in 2004.
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"There were discussions in 2004 and 2005. And, in this mechanism, it was said that when the concerned secretaries would hold discussions on these eight subjects, then the foreign ministers of both nations would sit together and analyze the developments. So, the two rounds were complete, the concerned secretaries held discussions and the foreign ministers analyzed the developments," Swaraj said.
"In 2008, before the analysis of the talks, 26/11 Mumbai attacks took place. So, the entire process stopped," she added.
Swaraj further said that the name of 'composite dialogue' was changed to 'resumed dialogue' in 2010.
"Minor changes took place in the resumed dialogue which included: counter terrorism, including progress on Mumbai trial and humanitarian issues were given to the home secretary, peace and security, including CBMs were with the foreign secretary, Jammu and Kashmir stayed with the foreign secretary as earlier, promotion of friendly exchanges which was earlier with the Secretary (Culture) was given to the foreign secretary. Siachen as earlier stayed with the defence Secretary, economic issues stayed with the foreign secretary, Tulbul Navigation Project stayed with the Secretary (Water Resources), Sir Creek as earlier stayed with the surveyor general or the additional secretary," said Swaraj.
"Two rounds of resumed dialogue took place and the foreign ministers analyzed the developments. But it stopped in 2012 post the incident of firing on the border and beheading of Hemraj following which our then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said 'that there cannot be business as usual with Pakistan'," she added.
Swaraj pointed out that there was no reference to or on composite dialogue or resumed dialogue when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met in Ufa, Russia.
"When Prime Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Ufa, then there was no reference to or on composite dialogue or resumed dialogue, and what Sartaj Sahab is repeatedly saying that all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. It was said that on all outstanding issues, we are prepared for that and it was kept in the preamble. An operative part of Ufa was made because we repeatedly say that talks and terror can't go together, a productive dialogue can take place in an atmosphere free from violence and terror," said Swaraj.
"So, it was decided between the two Prime Ministers that we should first talk on terror and violence. Terror and talks were delinked. It was decided in Ufa that we will hold one discussion on terrorism and the other for peace on the border," she added.
